Natalie’s Christmas Bread Wreath

For the basic sweet dough

500g plain flour

A pinch of salt

175mls milk

28g dried yeast

110g butter

110g caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

For the topping

Butter and caster sugar

50g raisins

1 teaspoon cinnamon.

To decorate

Icing sugar

Chopped walnuts

Glacé cherries

Angelica slices

Make the basic sweet dough. Sift the flour with the salt into a mixing bowl.

Put the yeast and butter into a separate bowl and warm the milk to blood heat. Stir the milk into the yeast and butter. Stir in the sugar and the eggs.

Make a well in the flour and salt mixture, pour in the liquid and, with your hands, mix until smooth. Put the dough onto a floured board and knead it until it is elastic. Place it in a greased bowl, covered with a damp cloth, then leave it to rise in a warm place for 50 minutes until doubled in size.

Knock down the dough, then cover it again, and leave it to rise once more.

Turn it onto a floured board and roll it into an oblong, about 2cm thick.

Cover the surface with dots of butter, a little sugar and the raisins, then sprinkle over the cinnamon. Roll up the dough tightly and curl it into a ring. Join the ends together and place it on a baking tray. Snip the ring every 3cms with scissors, each snip two thirds deep into the ring. Cover with a cloth and leave to prove for 30–40 mins.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Put the Christmas Bread Wreath into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden. Pierce it with a skewer to test: when the skewer comes out clean, it’s done.

Mix some icing sugar with a little water and brush over the ring while warm. Decorate with walnuts, cherries and angelica, then brush again with icing.